Tag: Salad
Peppers and Onions: A Side Dish Recipe to serve with Grilled Sausages
I love sausage and pepper sandwiches. I love the savory sausage with the sweet peppers and onions. Typically green pepper are served with the dish- I prefer sausage and pepper sandwiches made out of the red and orange peppers. I usually start with the sausages and then add either crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce. I then proceed with the onions and peppers- lots of oregano and basil later- a great dish is done! I toast a crusty baguette and rub the insides with a fresh garlic clove. The sausage and peppers are then topped with either a sharp provolone cheese or fresh mozzarella. It’s a great sandwich, especially with a great glass of cabernet.
In the summer, I do a variation of the sandwich. I am in no mood to spend a lot of time in front of the stove. We like to grill as much as possible- especially on the weekends. I always have chicken sausages in the fridge/freezer. This time I bought aged cheddar and spinach ones from Costco- they are delicious! Anyway, I grilled them and slices of a large baguette drizzled with olive oil and rubbed with garlic. I cooked the peppers and onions quickly on the stove with lots of fresh basil and brought it outside. We had all the components of a sausage and pepper sandwich separately- and they all tasted really well together. It was a yummy and simple meal- perfect for a Sunday evening or a weeknight.
Watermelon and Tomato Salad
I made this salad last year- and really enjoyed it. When I first heard of it, I thought, “what a strange combination”- but when I tasted it, I thought it was fabulous.
Last month, a friend was hosting a good bye party for a mutual friend and she had the meal catered from a local place in Maplewood. The meal consisted of a variety of tapas style dishes including a watermelon salad. It was good but I thought the one I had made last year was better- yes I am very modest… A friend who was there as well commented on the watermelon salad and wanted to make it and asked me to post a recipe- well, here it is Nancy!
I have seen plenty of recipes for this kind of salad. They all start with the watermelon and tomatoes, there is some kind of a vinaigrette, fresh herbs and some cheese. I went with the vinegar and cheese of my choice. I made an easy and delicious vinaigrette with balsamic vinegar- I think the rest of the vinegars in my pantry feel quite ignored- I end up using balsamic for mostly everything. I had feta cheese in the fridge- it is one of my favorites. I thought the saltiness would go really well with the sweet and cold watermelon. My favorite kind of tomatoes are grape- I use them for everything including pasta sauces- so that is what went in this salad. In terms of the fresh herbs, somehow oregano kept coming to mind.. I love feta and oregano together but it can be a very strong combination (both the ingredients are quite loud)- so I decide to tone everything down with mint. Mint brought a great freshness and balance to the salad.
Overall- a big success. I grilled chicken sausages as the main course and cooked up peppers and onions to go along. Will post the recipe on Monday. We ate the soft yummy peppers and onions with the delicious sausages. It was an easy and fast meal to make – best of all, it was delicious…
Refreshing Recipe: Corn Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
I started making this salad a few years ago. I think it was taken from Michael Chiarello at the food network. I made it for barbecue parties and it was always appreciated by my guests. I recently remembered it while talking to my neighbor who was planning on making it for a July 4th barbecue party. Although the salad is delicious- it is a bit time consuming- especially the dressing.
Later that week, I was making the shrimp rolls and grilled potatoes and I needed to make a salad with the meal. I thought of the corn salad- and came up with an easier recipe. I had the greens and fresh corn in the fridge- so it was just a matter of coming up with the dressing. I used the juice and zest of a lemon, lime and an orange- whisked olive oil, honey with salt and pepper. Very simple yet the flavor was unbelievable- summer in a bite!
The original salad included pecorino cheese, but I decided to eliminate it since I wanted a lighter salad. The cheese does taste really good in the original salad- so by all means, go ahead and add it. I would definitely stick with pecorino- for it’s extra strong flavor.
The salad is great at a barbecue with burgers or ribs but it is also goes very well with a piece of poached chicken or fish. It is a very healthy salad especially because the dressing doesn’t have very much olive oil. Definitely a summer must in your barbecue repertoire…
Bulgur Wheat Salad with Tomatoes and Roasted Corn served with Roasted Cod
This was my first time using bulgur wheat. For a while I wasn’t sure how to use this particular ingredient. I love it in tabbouleh- the Middle Eastern dish with lots of parsley, mint, tomatoes and cucumbers. It goes really well with a gyro or a falafel. The texture is very similar to couscous- and I think that is why I like it so much. I normally buy bulgur wheat salad at the Whole Foods salad bar- not really sure why I have never attempted to make it at home before.
A few days ago I was watching food television and saw someone using bulgur wheat and making something similar to tabbouleh. It looked really easy and delicious! I started researching online for exact cooking directions- turns out- everyone has their own way of cooking bulgur wheat. It’s very strange but each recipe I looked at, I saw different quantities of liquid being used to cook the wheat. After looking online for a good hour, I came up with my own measurements. I decided on 3/4 cup of bulgur wheat cooked in 1 cup chicken broth. I also noticed most recipes flavored the cooking liquid. I was already using flavorful chicken broth but decided to add to it even more. I added lemon juice, salt, olive oil and smoked paprika. The reason I used smoked paprika was because I wanted to give this dish a south western/spanish flavor. I was planning on serving this as a side dish with pan roasted cod topped with the tomatillo mango sauce I had left over. The extra flavor in the chicken broth made a huge difference- it added a nice tang and smokiness. I then added some cut up cherry tomatoes and green onions with roasted corn. I got fresh mint and cilantro from my herb garden and finished the dish off with a bit more salt. It was very refreshing- perfect for the summer months and best of all- very easy to make. This particular recipe was a side dish with the fish, but I think next time I will also add a protein in the salad to make it a complete meal- maybe some leftover chicken, shrimp or even cheese- and of course I will wash it down with my favorite summer drink, a Malbec Rose.
Arugula Prosciutto and Nectarine Salad with a Yogurt Dressing
I wait for this time all year long. The summer produce is coming out and there is lot to cook with. About a week or two ago I started buying nectarines and apricots- my favorite. I love the firm texture of the nectarines and of course their delicious flavor. In the past I devour them just as they are but now since I write this blog, I decided to use them in different dishes. I recently made a beef stir fry where I used some nectarines and cooked everything in an apricot sauce- it was delicious! I will post the recipe soon. I also made an apricot kuchen the other day which was so good with coffee. I have also been cooking with dried apricots. They remind me of Moroccan cooking. I used them in a chicken dish and I made some banana apricot scones with white chocolate- don’t worry, all these recipes will be posted soon. My point was that even tough it’s been a very rainy start to the summer season- it still feels like summer to me since the produce is out. Nothing like biting into a delicious juicy nectarine- I especially like the white ones- they are extremely sweet. Somehow peaches don’t do it for me- most people cook with and prefer peaches- I don’t like their fuzzy skin and soft texture- I prefer the smooth exterior and the firm interior of a nectarine.
I was watching Jamie Oliver making a grilled peach salad with a yogurt dressing. That is where this recipe came from- or at least the inspiration did. I used arugula for my greens since I love the bitter bite they have. I thought pairing nectarines would be extra delicious with arugula. Prosciutto and feta add a nice salty and creamy balance to the salad- all the taste buds are awakened in the palette. The yogurt dressing on top is quite interesting as well. I added some honey and lemon for a balance and ancho chili powder for a bit of a kick to the dish. Somehow oregano came to mind so I went outside to my herb garden and picked some fresh oregano and chives. It was a yummy creamy, salty, spicy and sweet sauce to pour over the salad. We ate it with the plain and white pizza– and yes we actually got to sit outside for a change- it was a beautiful day!
Avocado Salad with Lime Dressing
Looking at this salad cheers me up- it gives me hope as I wait for the weather to get warmer! Since I made the chorizo rice and beans yesterday- I was looking to make a fresh crisp salad to go with it. Avocados came to mind and I thought I should go with the lime and roasted cumin seeds theme from the rice dish. Initially I was looking to incorporate some greens in the salad- but as I thought about it more, I realized a chopped salad with peppers tomatoes and avocado may be the way to go. Right before serving the meal, I decided to add the salad on top of the rice instead of as a side. I also drizzled some of the lime dressing on top of the rice. Well, it was a fantastic idea- if I do say so myself!! The different textures were fabulously happy in my mouth. The creamy rice with the chorizo melted against the crunchy peppers and green onions. The tanginess of the dressing brought out the smokiness of the rice and beans. Of course the silky avocados were delicious as well. Overall it was a very successful dish- well, I guess the red wine didn’t hurt!
- 1 ripe avocado, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 orange pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium tomato, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 green onions, chopped
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- Salt to taste
- Lime dressing
Add all the vegetables in a medium bowl. Add half of the dressing with salt to taste. Mix well and keep aside for an hour. Add the rest of the dressing before serving.
Lime Dressing
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1 teaspoon roasted cumin seeds, ground
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Salt and pepper to taste
In a small bowl, whisk the limejuice, cumin seeds and honey together. Slowly add the olive oil and whisk the lime mixture. Add salt and pepper and taste for seasonings.
Tomato and Apple Salad with Dill
We ordered pizza and pasta for dinner on the weekend. We had enough of the food left over to have it again the next day- so I told my husband I will make a big salad with the left over pizza. The next day, before going grocery shopping, I checked the fridge to make sure I have greens for the salad- I had a bag of arugula. I had strawberries in the house and decided to buy some glazed sweet walnuts for the salad. I came home and put the balsamic vinaigrette together and put it aside. When it was time to make the salad, I got the arugula out of the fridge and discovered it was all wilted and brown!! It was 6:30 in the evening, raining outside and a school night- I wasn’t going to the grocery store now… I decided to go without the salad but felt bad for my husband- what should I give him? I decided to get creative and look in my kitchen for inspiration. I had tomatoes on the counter, apples and dill in the fridge. I called my husband and asked if he was ready to be a guinea pig in my salad experiment! I cut up the tomatoes with the apples and added chopped dill. I then topped it with the balsamic vinaigrette. It all smelled really good and what do you know- the salad tasted really well too. Perfect I thought, this salad is going to be great in the summer with any grilled meat or even hamburgers. I think next time I may even add some feta cheese to the salad and have it for lunch! Not having the greens worked out in the end- great dishes are created when I get desperate!!!
- 2 vine ripe tomatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 pink lady apples, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- Balsamic vinaigrette to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
Mix the tomatoes, apples, dill and the vinaigrette. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Mix the mustard, honey, balsamic vinegar with the salt and pepper. Drizzle the oil in while whisking the mixture. Keep aside.